Boring Ol Me
by The Impala has my fez
Summary: Sage is a regular person, in a world full of the same old routines. They wish for more, but don't have the means to access it. What happens when the universe hands them something so entirely unpredictable, it reads like a cliche story?
1. Chapter 1

How do you know where you began your life? Not where your heart started beating, not where you began breathing, but when your mind began to absorb the experiences around it. When you really began to interact with the world around you. Simply breathing or having a pulse is not life. People stuck in a routine don't feel alive, there is no exhilaration there. There's no enjoyment.

I can't tell you when I started living, I don't think I ever have. I am that person stuck in the same routine, doing the same things every day, barely getting by.

Working my ass off but not doing enough, not getting the right amount of sleep but not having enough time in the day, always having just the right dollar for the bills, but not much beyond that.

I live my life the way most people do. Wishing for the next day, and I hate it. I despise it, always have, and dare I say, always will. I need change, I need to be able to breath within my environment, need to be able to experience the world around me, instead of being mind numbingly bored all the time.

But that's what consumerism is here to fill, isn't it? Our media, our entertainment, our shows and music and movies and adrenaline chasing activities.

It's either lose your fucking mind doing nothing, or do what you can to keep yourself going, keep your mind active, don't get lost in that dark place, keep going keep going keep going one more day it'll get better tomorrow, but it never does, it never will, but you keep lying to yourself maybe one day it will get better please God make it get better-

And so I keep wishing. Just like everyone else in my place, in your place, in their place.

So, like I said, I consume media. I'm a consumer. Within that consuming attitude lies my favorite TV shows, between Doctor Who (ever since I was a small child), Merlin, Supernatural, and so on, so many more, but the running theme is the same. It's all magic, adventure, change. It's how we stay complacent. We watch others have the adventures for us, for forty-five minutes a day, and then go back to the same old routines. The same old job and same old people and same old schedule.

I pop in my earbuds, hoping this time the music will take me away from the boringness. I imagine a world not filled with hate and war but filled with new people and experiences. The same playlist as always begins to play, upbeat emo songs that either haven't aged well or are still classics- it's up for debate.

My room is disgusting, clothes litter the floor. Books are piled high to the edge of my desk. Clutter fills my tabletops. So I clean, hoping a clean room will help me focus on my school assignments due tomorrow before I have to go to work later tonight.

I stop short when my earbuds crackle.

"Are you fucking kidding me, I didn't pay a whole goddamn paycheck for you to shit out on me like that", I say under my breath as I fiddle with the case. "Fucking seamless Bluetooth connection my ass."

I take a step back without meaning to, and trip over a shirt. I fling my hand out to catch myself on the bed, and could have sworn I touched it, but my hand went right through. I landed on the floor with a hard thump.

How the hell did my hand go through my bed? Am I going crazy?

I hurry to get up and check my mattress; I hesitantly press the edge. It's solid. Solid as foam will ever be.

"I'm hallucinating, that's it, I finally went insane. Nice one, Sage. Fuck me, man." I shake my head. I might finally be losing it.

Instead of letting it get to my head, I figure, hey, maybe it's just that I'm tired. I keep cleaning, do a load of laundry, finish up the rest of my tasks, and work on my homework. Four hours later, I see it's time to go to work, so I do.

On go my uniform, shoes, hat. I grab my keys and phone and I'm out the door. Ready for another shift at a dead end minimum wage job, making just enough to pay for my shit studio apartment in the shit part of town. Lots of things are shitty now.

Finally over (my shift never lets off soon enough), I go home, rushing to get to bed. I'm exhausted. I just want to sleep away some of this stress. I shower, change, put away some more things, and finally settle in for bed. I put an episode of The Office to play me to sleep, and finally close my eyes, hoping sleep will overtake me soon.

Within minutes, I'm out and snoring loud enough to warrant a noise complaint from my neighbors.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm moving. Falling. How am I moving? I was sleeping.

My organs feel suspended in midair, my bangs are slapping me in the face, then zooming up, I might vomit or pass out again. Where the fuck am I? Where am I going?

I hear a voice behind me, it whispers something indistinct. Then a light giggle.

I swear to god this better be a nightmare, because if there is no way this is real. I'm sleeping. But the weight of nothing and the air against my skin, the way I'm inhaling…

Wait. I'm not inhaling. I'm not breathing. How am I not breathing? I desperately try to suck air into my lungs but it feels like I'm drowning, and I feel thick pressure fill my insides, my lungs are empty of oxygen and my head is filled with panic. I need to breath, I need air, why can't I get air?

That laugh again. To my right, no, to my left, above me, behind me again.

Needles in my shoulder blades, now its stabbing, burning, searing, the laughter gets louder and louder and the air becomes crushing I can't breathe I can't move I'm falling so fast make it stop dear God make it stop-

I fall.

Finally, I hit something solid; cold, but solid. I couldn't ask for more. I feel like a baby deer, weak and gangly. I can't feel my legs or arms, something heavy weighs from my back. Should I open my eyes? My heart beats in my ears, I can feel the air going in my nose now, sweet, sweet air. Oxygen at last.

I hesitantly open my eyes, hoping to see something familiar to me, and I do, but not the kind of familiar I want to see. Dark wisps cloud the sides of my vision as I look on to a familiar scene, a natural wood looking room. Where is it from though? I don't remember. A feeling of dread washes over me.

Where am I? What am I doing here? What the hell is going on?

I try to get up, but I'm weighed down by something. The wisps move. Wait, wisps? Where are those from? I unsteadily get on my knees and the weight on my back shifts. It feels heavy and drags on the floor. I whip my head around, shocked by the sight of what is essentially dark goose pillow innards, coming from my back. Feathers. From my back. Feathers… What?

I have more questions than answers. Like a reflex, as I adjusted my posture, the feathers again moved. I suppose they aren't fully feathers though, are they wings? My mind was numb. My emotions shut off, one by one, as I realize I'm overwhelmed by the environment around me. I grab a wing with my hands, pulling it around me, though I don't have to because they move however I want them to, just like I can move my legs or arms, they move just as well.

They were a dark chocolate brown with a red tint to them. Almost like what you'd expect to see from a shedding eagle, but much larger. I sit there and stare.

What else am I to do? I try to think about what's going on.

I was sleeping. I went to sleep last night in my apartment, in my bed. I didn't go out to drink, I'm not old enough anyways, plus I hate being under any influence. So what the fuck happened?

I'd say I'm dreaming, but this is too vivid. My limbs wouldn't feel this heavy, the world wouldn't be this crisp.

I turn my attention to the room I'm in. The walls are a light brown color and have the pattern of wood paneling. The floors are stone, which explains why they're so cold. There's a large window behind me, red light filtering through it. I turn around.

It's a sun. Above… the earth? My earth?

A red, bulging sun, looking ready to swallow a planet whole, right outside that window. I could see the vague shape of continents, a sprawling ocean, and the tendrils of the angry star wrapping itself around a vulnerable rock.

"What the hell?" I could feel the color draining from my face. This can't be real. All of it. I know I can be a bit stressed out sometimes but I didn't think it was bad enough to get to this degree.

In the distance I hear voices, I can vaguely make out… British accents?

"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things." It sounded like a young woman, I know I heard her voice before…

"They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over." A male voice responded.

I knew that voice. I wish I didn't, its not possible, but I do and it is. They were getting closer. I pulled close to the wall, dragging the wings behind me.

"How long's it got?"

"About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted."

The people pulled into my view, but didn't notice me yet. I know them. It's fucking Rose and Nine. Blonde hair, cocky attitude from the both of them, of course it was my least favorite characters.

"Of fucking course, of all the things that could happen, the places I could be, its them." I unintentionally mumble out loud; I only realize my mistake when I hear a chipper Northern accent chime in, "What? Who are you then?"

He meets my gaze. I was protected from view before, but Rose and the Doctor turn to see me, huddled against the wall, dark feathers pooling on the floor at my sides.

"Fuck." And that's the only word I can get out. Right. Sounds like me.

"Pardon you, language. You also have yet to introduce yourself." The Doctor retorts. Rose looks at me for a moment before turning to the Doctor, muttering, "Wings?" before turning her gaze to the floor. The Doctor simply nods.

Heat flushes my face. "Listen, bud, don't censor my language, you can fuck right off with that soccer mom bullshit, and yes, wings. I can hear you, you know. Also, don't ask me for an introduction when you haven't said a goddamn thing other than explain to your little friend there that the planet's about to die." What has gotten into me? I suppose the exhaustion and the unknown is getting to me. I want to go home.

"I'm the Doctor, this is Rose. Your turn."

"Sage. Nice to meet you."

Rose turned her gaze from the floor back to me, searching my face for… something. She averted her eyes from my face down my body, and I realized, after seeing that look so often, she was trying to figure out if I was a boy or a girl. Typical.

We're in space, I'm lost and have new feathery limbs attached to me, she's just travelled through space and time, but as a human, she's more preoccupied with seeing what my gender was.

I couldn't help but scoff. "Neither, thanks for checking me out though. I'm genderfluid, I prefer to present as neutral."

Rose flushed, embarrassed. "Sorry. Couldn't help it."

"I know. No one can." I shook my head.

A door opened and a voice piped up, "Who the hell are you?"

The Doctor turned his attention to the newly arrived blue skinned man, "Oh, that's nice, thanks."

Dumbfounded, the steward glanced to each of the three of us, then back to the Doctor. "But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now."

"That's me. I'm a guest. Look, I've got an invitation. Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? The Doctor plus one. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler. She's my plus one. Is that all right?" The Doctor flashed his ever so useful psychic paper at the steward, but neglected to include me.

"And who are you?" The steward shifted to me, accepting the Doctor's lie and fake invitation.

I stammered. "I'm with them, but not officially. I'm a tagalong, if you will. Not important enough to be included in the invite." Pleadingly, I looked over to Rose and the Doctor, hoping they'd back up my horribly constructed excuse.

Luckily, that thick Northern accept backed me up. "Exactly, not a problem for our pal Sage now is it?"

The steward gave me a second glace. I now realized I had obviously disheveled hair, I was still in pajamas (not that they'd know that it wasn't just clothing from whatever alien planet I had just hopped off of) and was wrapping myself in my own limbs as a form of comfort.

"Well, obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy." He turned, walking to his station, and began to introduce the guests. "Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa."

I tuned out, and slumped to the floor, wings naturally falling to my sides. Luckily they were not inclined to fall below me as I sat down, I'm sure that'd hurt a hell of a lot. The Doctor began his scripted greetings, down to the "air from my lungs" bit.

I buried my head in my hands, content to be ignored by everyone else. That is, until I felt like someone was watching me. I looked up, and right in front of me was a huge tank, filled by an even bigger face. It was the Face of Boe.

He smiled at me. "Hello, Sage, long time no see. You're just getting started, aren't you?"

"Jack?" I remembered the scene between Jack and Ten. It was him, wasn't it?

"Don't say that too loud. For all intents and purposes, I'm the Face of Boe."

"Right. Hey, so. What the fuck is going on? I don't know you. I don't know anyone here. I was home 20 minutes ago, sleeping. Why do I have these fucking things-" I gestured to the wings, "and what the hell am I doing here? This is a show. You're a character. In a show." I started rambling faster, "What the actual fuck, dude? Also, how can I understand what people are saying? I thought the TARDIS translates, but I haven't even seen it yet, or anything really, and why season one, here, with this regeneration, this Doctor, this companion? What is going on? Where's all my stuff? What am I supposed to do? Also did I mention there is no way in hell this is real or is actually going on, I'm going crazy, right, I mean-"

The Face of Boe cut me off. "Slow down. You will find your answers eventually. Focus on what you can do now. Come with me." He began to move away from me, slowly enough that he gave me time to get up and figure out how to comfortably drag my feather paperweights along with me.

He sighed. "Perk your shoulders up, they'll adjust."

I try it, rolling my shoulders before straightening my back, and sure enough, my wings rolled with my shoulders, standing tight to my spine and hips. The tops were above my head my an inch. The longest feathers near the bottom edge dragged a few inches on the floor by my feet, but not enough to be a tripping hazard.

"Thanks."

"They are an extension of you. They move like your arms or legs would, but you need to learn how to control them." He moved through the door he had just come in through. I turned to see what the Doctor and Rose were doing, but they were off, not paying attention to me. I'd think the Doctor would be interested in what I was doing, especially since I had so quickly attached myself to his invite, but maybe he was more preoccupied with something else.

"Follow me, child. Don't get distracted." The Face of Boe went down the hallway, patiently waiting for me to follow suit.


	3. Chapter 3

"You told me many years ago that this day would come. You told me what to say, so here I am, passing that knowledge to you now, Sage."

Nice, so there is a future me here. What about my family and friends back home? Do I ever get to see them again?

I walk in a daze, feeling the cold tile below my feet. "I don't know what's going on."

"No, but you will." The Face of Boe stops in front of a door, that said in bold letters, RESTRICTED. "Touch the door, think about opening it."

With skepticism, I did as I was told. Two fingers, four, five, my whole hand, and I think of the door sliding open under my palm, and what it would be like to lift my hand off it. We hear a lock click, and the door slides open under my hand, exactly how I imagined it. I stare at the wall that it disappeared into.

"Now do the same but lock it." I touch the door frame now, following the same procedure. The door closed.

"You hold within you an unimaginable power. Sage, there is much to be done in your future." The Face of Boe turns away from me, going back to the room where we came from. "Come now, socialize with everyone. It is a celebration, after all. Of what, I'm not sure, but it is one." Is this his attempt at humor?

Not much had happened in the room, asides from now Cassandra was talking about how she was the last human. As we enter, I could see straight through her sickeningly thin skin. I was so distracted by how grotesque she looked, I almost ran into Rose, who was doing the same thing.

"Oh! Sorry!" I stumble back.

"Oop!" She almost tripped over her own feet.

I dodge behind her, pulling to the same portion of the wall I had been at before. She follows me, wedging herself in the space between the two of us and a pillar.

"So, who are you really? American, right?" Rose questioned. "You seem as confused as I am, maybe even more. Do you know the Doctor or something? And what was that about 'Of course it's you two'?"

I shake my head, what am I supposed to tell her? Yeah, you're from a TV show in my universe? What is this, a bad fanfic? "Yeah, I'm from Utah. I don't know man. I'll let you know as soon as I do. I'm just as lost as you are."

"Right." She blows through her mouth, frustrated. "I'm gonna go for a bit. I need some air." Rose walks out the door, running her hand through her bleach blonde hair as she goes. The Doctor takes notice of her absence and heads after her, on his way being scanned by that one tree lady.

She goes through her whole, "It's impossible thing", but I can only think of one thing. I don't know if I'm human anymore. I don't know what's happened to me, but that little device in her hands could probably tell me.

I tucked my wings into my back, tighter than before, and hesitantly walk over to her. She's still looking at the screen, no doubt at the double hearted x-ray, doubting the results. "Hey, hi. Sorry to bother you. I'm Sage."

"Oh, hello. Nice to meet you, Sage. My name is Jabe, I represent the Forest of Cheam." She politely lowered the device in her hands, which I'm sure was also a way to keep me from seeing it.

I pointed to it, doing my best to remain inconspicuous while making a point. "Listen, I know you just scanned the Doctor, and I need a favor. Can you scan me as well? Don't ask why. Just… Please."

"I don't understand why you would need to be scanned; do you not know what you are?" She furrows her brows at me, tightening her posture.

"Just. Please? I'm dying of curiosity." I beg. I need to know. A horrible feeling eats away at my gut, telling me that it's not going to be what I expect, I know it won't be.

"Very well. As you wish." Jabe scans me quickly, then stares at the screen. "Impossible. I thought the Doctor was improbable, but you are something else entirely." She scans me again, but this time, the screen goes haywire, before burning out. The device dies with a little noise, a small beep and then its off.

"Holy shit did I break the thing? I'm really sorry!"

"No, no. You are impossible." In a hushed voice, she adds, "How are you part Time Lord, part human, and yet, still an unidentified species? Where are you from?" Her eyes seemed to look on me in fear and confusion.

"I'm human. I'm only human." I feel the air leave my lungs. "Pardon me. Thank you for your help, I'm sorry I broke your device again."

I run out the door, the same door as before, same as the Doctor, and my path with the Face of Boe, needing the same space as Rose. Tears rush to my eyes, blood rushes to my face, and I rush out down the hallway into a secluded area. The hallway leads me to a corner with an open vent, booted feet sticking out of the wall.

This seems familiar, wasn't this episode about Cassandra trying to kill everyone or something like that? I think there were little robots, which means-

"Get out of there! Get out of the vent!" I rush forward and grab the feet, just as soon as I hear, "No!" signifying the worst. Without meaning to, almost instinctively, I stretch my wings as far as they'll go outwards, and flap in, using the force to pull myself and the maintenance worker back. I had to do it twice, but I did it, landing backwards on my ass, the maintenance lady landing beside me.

"Are you alright? What's your name?" She barely gets a chance to talk before we hear squeaking, the bots have come out of the vents looking for the person they were supposed to grab before quickly retreating back into the walls.

I bend down to look into the vent; in front of me were maybe half a dozen little bots. Little shits. I wish I could smash them like tin cans, leave them on this ship as paperweights. Cassandra couldn't have been able to smuggle that many in this ship, maybe, 20? 25, at most? I clenched my fists at my sides. Oh how nice it'd be to smash them all, I can imagine it, them crumpling over, falling on their backs.

They twitch as I think of how nice it'd be to clear them all out. Not enough to make them fall over, but enough to make me notice. Is there a glitch in their system, or was that me? I look closer at them, but they quickly scurry away.

In the episode, weren't they much more confrontational? I remember the little bots killing a few characters without what seemed like any hesitation. Who did the bots kill?

I hear a meek voice behind me. "May I speak?"

"Yeah, of course you can." Why was she asking to be able to talk? Was this a detail in the episode I forgot about? I furrow my brows, I still can't remember who their next victim is.

"Thank you for the permission. Also, thank you for saving my life. I don't know what they would have done to me, but I'm glad you were there. I'm indebted to you." She lowered her head.

"No, you're really not in any kind of debt, it's the right thing to do. I hope you're alright. Listen, stay away from the vents, don't go poking around anymore. I've got to figure something out. What was your name again?"

"Ruffalo, and yours?"

I offer her a small smile. "Sage. It's nice to meet you." I need to find the Doctor, I don't think he knows what's going on. I make my way down the hallway to the large room with everyone else, hoping the Doctor is still there.

"Would the owner of the blue box in private gallery fifteen please report to the Steward's office immediately. Guests are reminded that use of teleportation devices is strictly forbidden under Peace Treaty five point four slash cup slash sixteen. Thank you."

The TARDIS is being wheeled away, I remember this scene! I rush through the door, hoping to see the Doctor, and sure enough, he's there conversing with the party. I wedge my way through the crowd over to him as he begins to move from the conversation so he can make sure the TARDIS is kept safe.

"'Scuse me, that's my call." He excused himself, just as I approach him. His eyebrows lift as he sees me. "Oh, what's gone on with you? Come to thank me?"

"Well, no, and yes. Thanks. Walk with me because there's something going on here." He began to walk with me through another hallway off to the right of the room. "Listen, you know that bitchy trampoline? And those balls the Repeated Meme were giving people? It's a trap. Cassandra wants to do something to get money, don't ask me what or why cause I don't know, I don't remember, but those little balls have spiders in them that are getting into the mainframe of the ship."

"And how would you know that? You seemed pretty lost when you first arrived. Speaking of, who are you?" He didn't offer any solace in his questions.


End file.
